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marsh marigolds
The Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary
opens for the season on Saturday, April 1, 2017. Staff and volunteers are happy
to assist garden visitors in their exploration of this treasured and
historic native plant garden.
The Wildflower Garden is open from 7:30am until one hour
before sunset, seven days a week through October 15. After October 15, the Garden is open only on weekends through the
rest of the month.
The Martha Crone Visitor Shelter in the Wildflower Garden is
open from 10am until one hour before sunset Monday-Saturday and from noon
until one hour before sunset on Sundays.
The first wildflower species blooming this season is skunk cabbage, with snow trillium, hepatica, bloodroot, wild ginger, marsh marigolds, bluebells and trout lilies
expected to bloom in early-mid April.
For more information on the Wildflower Garden and the variety of nature-focused programs offered here, visit the Wildflower Garden's web page. Be sure to check out the Spring 2017 Programs and events schedule [PDF]; click on the activity number listed with each program to register.
The 15-acre garden, located within Theodore Wirth
Regional Park is the oldest public wildflower garden in the nation.
Its legacy dates back to 1907 when Minneapolis botanist Eloise Butler
and botany teachers successfully petitioned the MPRB to create a natural
botanic garden to preserve native flora as the city grew. Three acres of bog,
meadow and hillside were properly fenced and the Wild Botanic Garden opened
April 27, 1907.
The Garden is home to more than 500 plant species and 130 bird
species. It provides 60,000 visitors annually with spectacular seasonal
displays of native wildflowers in woodland, wetland and prairie areas. Each
area creates a different habitat that fosters different types of plants,
animals and birds. A 2/3-mile trail features 49 interpretive stations for
guided and self-guided tours. Nestled in the garden is the Martha Crone Visitor
Shelter where visitors will find natural history displays, natural history
reference materials and friendly staff and volunteers waiting to help with
Garden-related questions.
Contact
Susan Wilkins
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
Phone: 612-370-4863
Email: swilkins@minneapolisparks.org
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